Santorum claims that "7 or 8" U of California campuses don't teach American history

[LAblondeGPhi]

...From a PolitiFact article:

On the stump in Wisconsin on April 2, 2012, the Republican presidential candidate filled in his audience on something he was "just reading … last night."

"I think it’s seven or eight of the California system of universities don’t even teach an American history course. It’s not even available to be taught," he said. "Just to tell you how bad it's gotten in this country, where we're trying to disconnect the American people from the roots of who we are, so they have an understanding of what America should be."

Um, wrong. The only UC campus that doesn't offer an American history course is UC-San Francisco, which is a medical school.

I mean... UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine are all in the top 50 university rankings according to US News and World Reports. Seems weird that they wouldn't offer a single American history course to the over 139,000 undergraduate students who attend those campuses, ESPECIALY when all of those campuses offer a history major.

The rest of the article is at PolitiFact:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...ot-available-/

The video of Santorum's speech can be seen here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...ml?ref=college

[amIblue?]

The blatant ignorance is frightening.

[AlphaFrog]

I wonder what it was that he was "just reading" that gave him that impression. The Onion? .Someone pulling facts out of their butt? Or maybe it specified a TYPE of Am History (Women's American History or African American History) and he didn't read that part....

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I wonder what it was that he was "just reading" that gave him that impression. The Onion? .Someone pulling facts out of their butt? Or maybe it specified a TYPE of Am History (Women's American History or African American History) and he didn't read that part....

Or perhaps they don't have a course titled simply "American History."

I think he must have been reading conspiracy theories.

[LAblondeGPhi]

My guess is wishful thinking on Santorum's part. I guess it's just easier for him to mentally write off California as Communistfornia.

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

The blatant ignorance is frightening.

true. last month he was touting how the elderly in the Netherlands fear going to hospitals because approximately 10 percent of them are "euthanized" annually. completely unsubstianted.

[AlphaFrog]

Ok, so I actually read the article and they think he was using a WSJ piece that said it wasn't required at the collegiate level at several of the campuses. I don't think I had a history requirement at WIU, but it could have been waived due to taking honors history classes in high school and I didn't realize it.

[Tulip86]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

true. last month he was touting how the elderly in the Netherlands fear going to hospitals because approximately 10 percent of them are "euthanized" annually. completely unsubstianted.

Oh I saw that one, just makes him look like a tool.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Ok, so I actually read the article and they think he was using a WSJ piece that said it wasn't required at the collegiate level at several of the campuses. I don't think I had a history requirement at WIU, but it could have been waived due to taking honors history classes in high school and I didn't realize it.

I didn't have to have an American History class in college. It wasn't required for my major. I did have to have a history class. I took English History: Pre-Roman through 1649.

I, apparently unlike the presidential candidate, know the difference between a course not being required and a course not being available.

[33girl]

Well, this is a guy who said he lived in a place that I would be surprised if he ever actually walked through the door so there you go.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_274635.html

[dukemama]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

The blatant ignorance is frightening.

You said it much more tactfully than I would have!

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by dukemama

You said it much more tactfully than I would have!

That's a first. I'm not generally known for my tact, but thanks!

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I didn't have to have an American History class in college. It wasn't required for my major. I did have to have a history class. I took English History: Pre-Roman through 1649.

I, apparently unlike the presidential candidate, know the difference between a course not being required and a course not being available.

I had to take a Western Civ and a Non-Western Civ. The former was fulfilled by a good score on the AP US History exam; the latter by studying in Japan. I always assumed that most universities have the same sort of requirements for people not majoring in the humanities.

[Munchkin03]

What a dumbass.

I don't think we had a "general" American history course because, Hi AP/Honors American History in 11th grade! I took several very specific courses (America's Involvement in Vietnam, 1954-1975 is an example), but felt no need to repeat any part of high school.

I guess because it's California and "it's crazy out there!" (I just got back and it's no crazier than NYC, but I guess neither of those places are the real America.)

[Mevara]

I graduated from one of the crazy UC schools and why would the university waste their time repeating a course that was required for you to take in HS? I just looked up our list of history courses and no, we don't offer the plain version of American History but there other course that build upon you already having taken that in HS. (American Ethnic History, Native American History, The Formation of American Society, Problems in History: United States)